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What Shocks/Struts to use?

I've finally gotten tired with the old struts and shocks on my 93 giving me a rough ride and am looking to replace them. Anyone have any brand recommendations? I've always heard Blistein shocks are good but just want to explore all my options.

What are your plans with the vehicle and what do you use it for most. These answers will help determine if a stock style replacement, mild performance, or high performance strut/shock is what you need.

Bilstein, Tokico, Koni, Monroe, Gabriel, and others all make good struts and shocks. The trick is matching them to your spring rates and your intended use of the vehicle.

​Trey

"I Don't build it hoping for your approval! I built it because it meets mine!"

"I've spent most of my money on Mustangs, racing, and women... the rest I just wasted."

What are your plans with the vehicle and what do you use it for most. These answers will help determine if a stock style replacement, mild performance, or high performance strut/shock is what you need.

Bilstein, Tokico, Koni, Monroe, Gabriel, and others all make good struts and shocks. The trick is matching them to your spring rates and your intended use of the vehicle.

I'm mainly just wanting something that's gonna be good for daily driving. I don't need anything for "Extreme performance" or the likes of that. I'm just looking for either OE quality or better.

I ran Monroe all the way around on mine for many years, and about 300K miles. They were still in decent shape when I replaced them actually.

If anyone would have told me how much better the ride and performance is running 4 cyl springs in back with sn95 shocks and the stock bumpstop removed I would have done it years ago. I already had the stock replacement Monroe shocks so i am running those for now. One of my good friends had sn95 with 4 cyl before he converted to track duty and went back to GT rears with Koni double adjustable sn95 style and way heavier springs in front with double adjustable struts.

For a street fox 4cyl springs with sn95 Monroe and no bumpstops is great. Way better than stock GT all around.

Hard to beat this setup for the money.

im running no rear sway bar and mine is dropped around 1 1/2 all the way around via X2 balljoints (sn95 spindles) and caster/camber plates in front and cutting some spring out in the rear. It handles well for what it is. A clean and even 25 mph on ramp starts getting a little loose around 70. I just did one of those last night - what a blast!

I had installed Gabriel's struts when I first got my car 3 summers back. They never failed and the ride was always good. They were the lowest cost struts though so there must be a reason for that.

Two weeks ago I had a strut mount kit installed and replaced the Gabriel's with KYB's. They ride great. I think I'm gonna swap my rear shock with a pair of KYBs too to keep it all new and standardized.

BTW I used this J&M strut kit. I know everybody raves about BBK and MMS kits but what sold me on this kit is its lifetime warranty, it has a precision bearing instead of a urethane bushing and its replaceable. Most other kits you have to toss and replace. The J&M you get replacement parts for and fix it. Also the J&M has 4 lockdowns in the center of the plate instead of 2 that other kits have. So far my car rides great and no more crunching noise or tire skipping when I make turns. That bushing in the center makes a difference.

One of the "problems" that I lived with for 20+ years and recently I've worked to overcome with my car is its tendency to kick out the rear every time you step on the gas while turning. It's stock tendency to do this is actually really cute for about 10 minutes. Then you realize all the other tendencies that go with it that are extremely dangerous.

the single biggest improvement on mine came when I removed the rear sway bar. Counter intuitive I know! With my cars lowered stance it seems like it's not really needed on a street car. Before/after tells me there are numerous drawbacks to it being there - just my experience.

The sn95 width 8.8 I am currently running has a working traction lok. My car has 245/45/17's under it. I can roll to full throttle while heading into turning left around a median from being stopped at an intersection and stay into the throttle without experiencing the usual oversteer (snap steer) foxes are notorious for. It just sticks it and goes. I'm at around 270 rwhp and still have a 2.73:1 out back with a 2.95:1 T5 so more cannon under the hood or lower gears will eventually make it go back towards its old ways but we have a totally stock 86 and my modded car in my family so we can compare modded to factory easily at any time.

Ive been in a few foxes with panhards in them with the same shock and spring setup and one that was upgraded to sn95 style shocks. It's a fabulous experience for anyone used to dealing with a stock fox Mustangs tendencies. I would categorize soft spring, new shock, no swaybar as about 2.5 notches up from stock while a panhard with sway is about 3.5 - add sn95 shocks it's about 4. I haven't tested no sway with panhard but will eventually.

its well known that a vastly lighter rear swaybar is what works best on foxes in competitive suspension setups. (Have seen vastly lighter front sway with factory rear work out on stiff spring setups for track).

for the street It appears to me that no rear sway is way better than the "way too much" stock bar.

While you are working on your car my closing comment is I believe a rear spring that is in proper proportion to the front spring rate (4 cyl LX rears) and good condition stock style shock is a very livable combination. Sn95 shocks are an improvement. Both are much safer than factory in rain or snow and ice, etc.

Anyway, I ended up with Gabriels up front and Monroes in the back. It rides so much better now. It's amazing what some new parts can do to a car! Next up is replacing my broken headlight assemblies so that I can drive at night without my headlights pointing about 2 feet ahead of me.